Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-22
(CoNTINUED.)
CHAPTER XVI.
THE AMBUSCADE

gong On III DIS splFlt u IeJlle1tdllO1 Ike thai
with which good wine discharges itself of its
groSness and impurities, and becomes clear
and fine. In this process had vanished the
absorbing seliishness Of much INDUCED only
son, and the supercilious egotiSm which came
as an almost necessary result Of his collegy
curriculum This spiritual ripening received
its perfeetfng color and bloom from the
serene exaltation of Aunt Debbys soul Sc
filed was she with lofty devotion to tbs
cause, so complete her faith in its holiness
and so un9uestioning her belief that it was
every ones simple dnty to brave all danger
for it, and die if need be without a murTnur,
that contact with her would have inspired
with pure patriotic ardor a nature much less
ready for such leaveaing than Harry's.
As DR.. Denslow had surmisei, his faults
were mainly superficial, and underneath them
was firm gristie of manhood which would
speedily harden into bone With the expert
ence be had been having, days would mature
this as rapidly as ordinary years. He was
himself hardly aware of the transformation,
but only felt, as his physical exhaustion dis
appeared a new eagerness to participate
in the great work of the war He was
gratifed to know little later that this was
no transient feeling. In the course of the
evening Jim Foltner came in, with Kent Ed
wards and Abe Bolton. After they had all
satisfied their hunger Fortner informed Harry
and Aunt Debby that the enemy had fallen
hack to London, from which point he was send
ing out wagons into the surrounding country
10 gather up food, forage arms, clothing,
ammunition, etc, with the double object Of
- =. E
the same to the Confederate resources. A
long train had also been sent out to the Goose
creek salt works-twenty-five miles northeast
of London-to bring away lot of salt stored
there, of which the Confeierates had even
more need than of food
FORMER proposed to go out in the morning
and endeavor to capture some of these wagons
It seemed altogether probable that few
might be caught in such a position that their
guards could be killed or driven off.
All readily agreed to this plan, Aunt Debby
leading off by volunteering to ride ahead on
her mare, as a scout
Harry suddenly remembered that he was
weaponleSs. What shall do for a gunl7 he
asked, anxiously
al declar, done forgot all bout gittin We
mind was disturbed by other things" he
added with suspicion of a grin at Edwards
and Bolton; but they were leaning back in
their chairs fast asleep Applejack, fatigue
and hearty supper together made a narcotic
too potent TO resist.
Fortner rose, spread few blankets on the
floor, added a sack of bran for a pillow, and
with some difficulty induced the two sleepers
to lie down and take their slumbers in a more
natural position.
I'll find We gun. said Aunt Debby. as
this operation was finished, and walking to
farther corner of the room. she came back
bearing in her hand rife very similar to the
one FORMER carried
Thar she said, setting the delicately
curved brazen heel down upon the hearth,
and holding the muzzle at arms length while
she gazed at the gun with the admiration one
cannot help feeling for magnificent weapon,
is ez true rife ez ever man put to his
shoulder Eff didn't b'lieve We ter be ez true
ez steel ye shouldn't tech hit. fur hit b'longed
ter the truest man in this Twin world
"Hit wuz her husbands explained Fort
ner, as her lips met firmly, as if choking down
bitter memories
I'm givln bit ter We ter use eZ he'd a-used
hit eff be war alvin she said, steadying
her tones with q perceptible effort. am
glad tibet my hands can put inter yours the
means ter avenge him."
Harry tried in vain to make an appro-
PIRATE response
IN clean hit W for ye," she said to Harry,
as she saw Fortner beginning to Turkish up
his own rife for the next days duties
That she was no stranger to the work was
shown by the skill with which she addressed
herself TO it. Nothing that a Kentucky
mOuntaineer does has more Of the aspect of
labor of love, than his caring for fine rife,
and any of them would have been put to
shame by the defines of Aunt Debby's sup
PIE hands. Removing the leathern hood
which protected the lock, she carefully rubbed
off the hammer and the nipple with a wisp of
soft fine tow, and picked out the tube with
needle Wrapping another bit of tow around
the end of wiping stick, she moistened it
slightly in her mouth, and carefully swabbed
out of the inside of the barrel every suspicion
of dust and dirt Each of the winding rifles
was made clean and free along its whole
course Then the tow swab was lightly
touched with sweet, unsalted goose fat, that
it might spread a rust preventing film over
the interior surface. She Furnished the sill
yer and brass ornaments, and rubbed the
polished stock until it shone. When not a
suspicion of soil or dirt remained anywhere.
the delicate double triggers were examined
and set so that they would yield at the stroke
a OF hair; a tuft Of lightly oiled tow was placed
over the nipple and another closed the nuz-
zle
Thar" said Aunt Debby, setting the gun
back against the logs, "is a rife that'n alters
do hits duty, eff the man a-holt of hit does
his. Let's see how the ammunition IS
The powder horn was found to be well
filed with powder and the box with caps,
but there were only few bullets.
"I'll run We some, she said, taking from a
shelf small iron ladle, few bars Of lead,
and pair of bullet molds. EUR more'n a
hundred years the women NV our family hev
iIn all the bullets our men folks shot They
b'Heved hit made EN- lucky. Grandfather
Fortner killed an Injun chief acrost the Mau.
NEE river at the battle of Fallen Tinbers
with bullet that granmother he'd run fur
him an markt with little cross Afore the
uaOtIo Dcbuu SIhildlutf LUCK the Dulieb
outen his pouch an put hit inter his mosth,
until he could get chance ter use hit on big
game. He brot the chiefs scalp hum ter
granmother"
Il believe the bullets you cast for me will
do good service, said Harry, with sincerity
in his tones.
'Im sartin Of hit" she returned, conf
IDENTIFY. Il hev adopted ye in my heart ez q
son, an feel toward We ez Of We were raylly
Nv my Own kin. know yen We credit to
yerseif an me-"
While the lead was melting upon the bed
If Goals she drew out on the hearth she sat
n her low chair with her hands clasped about
ler knees and her great gray eyes fixed upon
he depths of mass of glowing embers in
he fireplace, as if she saw there vivid pic
,nres Of the past or revelations of the future
How wonderfully bright an glowin' hit is
n thar" she said musingly; @hit's purer an
brighter then ennything else on arth. 'Puri-
led ez by fire. the Book says. Ny God,
Thou has sent Thy fires upon me ez a sweep
n flood. Hev they purified me ez Thou
visit. How hit shines an CLOVIS away in